Wheelchair restraint system for a transportation vehicle

ABSTRACT

A wheelchair restraint system for a mass transportation vehicle having a securement area for a wheelchair is disclosed which includes a barrier carried at a rear portion of the securement area disposed generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis. A rear wheelchair attachment assembly is carried by the rear barrier for anchoring the wheelchair to the barrier. A personal securement belt assembly secures a seated wheelchair occupant to the wheelchair in the securement area. A front bulkhead extends generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis at a front portion of the securement area which includes an extendable anchor member which extends transverse relative to the longitudinal vehicle axis. The anchor member is extendable between a stored position in which the anchor member is stowed within the bulkhead and a deployed position wherein the anchor member is extended from the bulkhead. A front wheel chair attachment assembly includes two attachment belts extending from the wheel chair to a first anchor location on the bulkhead and to a second anchor location on the extendable anchor member when the anchor member is in the deployed position. The first and second front attachment belts diverge outwardly and incline downwardly from the wheelchair toward the respective first and second anchor locations on the bulkhead to effectively anchor the occupant and wheelchair and prevent lateral tipping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a wheelchair restraint system forsecuring a wheelchair and occupant in a mass transportation vehicle suchas a bus, train, and the like, and more particularly to a three-pointwheelchair restraint system in which the wheelchair is effectivelyrestrained which may be easily stored out of the way when not in use.

[0002] Heretofore, wheelchair restraint systems have been utilized ontransportation vehicles using various forms of bars, belts, anchors, andclips, and clamps. However, the problem arises that implementation ofthese systems is often laborious and time consuming. Typically the busdriver must fold a flip seat, remove belts from an underneath storage,anchor the belts in floor slots, and attach the belts to the wheelchair.After the wheelchair occupant is transported, the bus driver must thenstop and remove the belts, anchors, and store the belts. Often, thebelts are left out and form a hazard for tripping over. Typically theanchor slots and floor wells used to anchor the belt also present tripand fall hazards.

[0003] Other securement systems for wheelchairs have been proposed inthe prior art such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,394 whereina rear barrier is provided to which a lap belt may be fastened for awheelchair occupant and a pivotal restraint arm is pivotally attached tothe underneath portion of a flip seat which may be pivoted to acantilevered position in front of the wheelchair occupant to restrainthe wheelchair. Other various forms of wheelchair securement systems aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,265; 4,455,046; and 4,093,303 usingvarious forms of levers, clamps, bars, straps and the like. However,these systems leave much to be desired in providing a simple restraintsystem for effectively securing a wheelchair and its occupant whereinthe securement system may be readily deployed for use and stored toprevent a hazard to the regular passenger when not in use.

[0004] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide awheelchair restraint system for a transportation vehicle which is easyto deploy yet provides a highly effective securement of the wheelchair.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide awheelchair restraint system which may be rapidly deployed and does notrequire the presence of structures, intrusive abutments and otherhazards in the securement area when the system is not deployed.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide awheelchair restraint system which is restrained by a three-pointanchoring system to effectively prevent tipping of a wheelchair and itsoccupant yet provide rapidly deployable system whose elements may bereadily stored when not in use for a nonhazardous securement area.

[0007] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a simplewheelchair restraint system using a system of retract-able beltassemblies to secure the wheelchair in a quick and easy manner.

[0008] Still another important object of the present invention is toprovide a three-point wheelchair restraint system wherein the anchorpoint structures may be stored out of sight when not in use to provide asafe and easy to use environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The above objectives are accomplished according to the presentinvention by providing a wheelchair restraint system for a masstransportation vehicle having a securement area for a wheelchair whichincludes at least one flip seat. The system comprises a barrier carriedat a rear portion of the securement area disposed generally transverseto the longitudinal vehicle axis. A rear wheelchair attachment assemblyis carried by the rear barrier for anchoring the wheelchair to thebarrier. The rear wheelchair attachment assembly has at least two rearattachment elements for attachment at two spaced locations to thewheelchair. A personal securement belt assembly secures a seatedwheelchair occupant to the wheelchair in the securement area. A frontbulkhead extends generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axisat a front portion of the securement area; and a front wheelchairattachment assembly anchors the wheelchair to the bulkhead. The frontwheelchair attachment assembly has at least two front attachmentelements for attachment to two spaced locations of the wheelchair andthe bulkhead. The rear wheelchair attachment assembly includes at leastone retractor mechanism for exerting an adjustable force on thewheelchair in a first direction along the vehicle axis, and the frontwheel attachment assembly includes at least one retractor mechanism forexerting an adjustable force on the wheelchair in a second directionopposite to the first direction so that the wheelchair is securedbetween the barrier and bulkhead by the rear and front wheelchairattachment assemblies.

[0010] Advantageously, the system includes a coupling having a rearconnector, and the first and second attachment elements of the rearwheelchair attachment assembly are affixed to the coupling. Theretracting mechanism of the rear wheelchair attachment assembly isconnected to the rear connector of the coupling. Preferably, the rearwheelchair retractor mechanism includes a rear retractable belt having aretracted and withdrawn configuration, a release for releasing the beltfrom the retracted and withdrawn configurations, and a crank formanually tightening the belt when tensioned in the withdrawnconfiguration. The attachment elements of the rear wheelchair attachmentassembly include a first rear attachment belt for attachment to a firstrear location of the wheelchair and a second rear belt for attachment toa second rear location of the wheelchair spaced from the first location,and the coupling couples the first and second belts to the rearretractable belt. Preferably, the coupling comprises a plate having acenter attachment for attachment to the rear retracting belt, and thefirst and second rear attachment belts being affixed to the plate atlocations spaced equal distances from the center attachment.

[0011] Advantageously, the front wheel attachment assembly comprising afirst front attachment belt for attachment to a first front location ofthe wheelchair, a second front attachment belt for attachment to asecond front location of the wheelchair spaced from the first frontlocation. A first and a second retractor mechanism is provided forretracting the respective first and second belts in a direction to placea tensioning force on the first and second front belts, and theretractor mechanisms include a manual crank for tightening the tensionedfirst and second belts. The first and second rear attachment beltsdiverge outwardly from the respective first and second wheelchairlocations toward the anchor locations on the bulkhead to effectivelyprevent lateral tipping. Preferably, the first and second frontattachment belts are also inclined downward from the wheelchair to thefront bulkhead. The attachment belts diverge outwardly at an angle in arange of about 0 to 15 degrees with respect to the vehicle longitudinalaxis, the preferred value being an angle of about 5 degrees with respectto the vehicle longitudinal axis for a standard wheelchair having a 20″wheel spacing.

[0012] In an advantageous aspect of the invention, the front bulkheadincludes an extendable anchor member which extends transverse relativeto the longitudinal vehicle axis, the anchor member is extendablebetween a stored position in which the anchor member is stowed with thebulkhead and a deployed position wherein the anchor member is extendedfrom the bulkhead. A first retractor mechanism is carried by theextendable anchor member, and a second retractor mechanism carried bythe bulkhead. Preferably, the bulkhead comprises a bulkhead housing, andthe anchor member is placed entirely within the bulkhead housing in thestored position. The bulkhead housing includes an opening, and theextendable anchor member moves through the opening when moving betweenthe stored and extended positions. A movable closure is provided forclosing the opening of the bulkhead, and the closure forms a track forguiding movement of the anchor member between the stored and extendedpositions when the closure is open.

[0013] The personal securement strap assembly comprises a lap beltaffixed near the rear barrier, and a shoulder belt attachable to the lapbelt. An adjustable ring tether supports the shoulder belt wherein thering tether is adjustable to adjust an upper position of the shoulderbelt in a vertical direction to accommodate wheelchair occupants ofdifferent heights.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The construction designed to carry out the invention willhereinafter be described, together with other features thereof.

[0015] The invention will be more readily understood from a reading ofthe following specification and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention isshown and wherein:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a prospective view illustrating a three-point wheelchairrestraint system in accordance with the present invention securing awheelchair and occupant;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a prospective view of FIG. 1 with the wheelchair andoccupant removed;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a three-point wheelchair restraintsystem securing a wheelchair in accordance with the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a three-point wheelchair restraintsystem according to the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 5 is a rear view of a three-point wheelchair restraint systemaccording to the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a front bulkhead with a slidableanchor member shown in a deployed position;

[0022]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the front bulkhead of FIG. 6 with theslidable anchor in a stored position; and

[0023]FIG. 7A is a front view with part cut away of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, the invention will be described inmore detail.

[0025] As can best be seen in FIG. 1, a securement area of a masstransportation vehicle is illustrated, generally at 10, which includesan area for seating of regular passengers or a wheelchair passenger. Forthis purpose, at least one flip seat 12 is provided which may bepositioned between a horizontal seating and a flipped position as shownin FIG. 2. A wheelchair 14 may be secured in the securement area withseat 12 in the flipped position as can best be seen in FIG. 1. Thesecurement area includes a rear barrier, designated generally as B,which includes a housing 18 supported on legs 20 bolted to the floor 11a of vehicle 11. A retractable belt 22 is housed within the barrierhousing 18 and extends through a slot 18 a terminating in an end towhich a hook 24 is secured. A belt/crank retracting mechanism 26 appliesa retracting force to belt 22 and a manual crank 28 is provided fortightening a retracted belt, as will be more fully explainedhereinafter. A release button 26 a allows belt 22 to assume a retractedor withdrawn configuration in a conventional manner.

[0026] The personal securement belt assembly, designated generally as30, is provided by a first retractable lap belt 32 and a secondretractable lap belt 34 which may be pulled under tension and fastenedabout the wheelchair occupant. The personal belt assembly is completedby a shoulder belt 36 having a retracting mechanism 38, and anadjustable tether strap 41 having a ring 41 a fastened to the shoulderbelt. The shoulder belt includes a female fastener 36 a which fastensinto a male fastener 45 carried on lap belt 32. A female fastener 32 ais carried on seat belt 32 which locks with a male fastener 34 a on seatbelt 34. Thus with the lap belt fastened about the wheelchair occupant,the shoulder belt 36 may be fastened to the lap belt for personalsecurement. When not in use, shoulder belt 36 may be secured by suitablemeans to a wall 16 a of the vehicle. In use, lap belt 34 may betemporarily affixed at 12 a to the underside of flip seat 12 by suitablemeans such as velcro as a wheelchair is being secured.

[0027] A rear wheelchair attachment assembly, designated generally as C,is provided for attaching the rear of wheelchair 14 to barrier B, as canbest be seen in FIG. 3. Front wheelchair attachment assembly D includesa first rear attachment belt 40 attached to a first rear location 42 ofthe wheelchair and a second attachment belt 44 attached to a secondspaced location 46 of the wheelchair. Locations 42 and 46 areillustrated as vertical frame legs of the wheelchair but may be anyother suitable portion. A coupling 48 is provided in the form of asingle- tree connector for affixing belts 44 and 42 to retractable belt22 for tensioning to complete the rear wheelchair attachment assembly.Belt 40 includes a first strap 40 a affixed to the single-tree couplingat 48 b which carries a female buckle 40 b; and a second strap 40 caffixed at 40 d to strap 40 which wraps around frame 42 and has a malebuckle 40 e mating with female buckle member 40 b. Likewise, strap 44includes a first belt 44 a affixed to single-tree coupling 48 at 48 bhaving a female buckle member 44 b; and a second strap 44 c affixed at44 d to strap 44 a which wraps around frame 46 and includes a malebuckle 44 e which fastens with female buckle member 44 b. Retractablebelt 22 may be withdrawn by actuating release button 26 a of theretracting mechanism 26 and fastened to the single-tree coupling. Oncethe single-tree coupling is fastened to the wheelchair, the button maybe depressed again whereupon belt 22 is retracted under the spring forceof retracting mechanism 26. The entire rear wheelchair attachmentassembly may then be tightened by manually turning hand crank 28 andtensioning belts 22, 40, and 44.

[0028] A front anchor bulkhead, designated generally as D, is carriednear a front portion of the securement area for securing the front ofthe wheelchair. There is a front wheelchair attachment assembly,designated generally as E, for attaching the wheelchair to the frontbulkhead. It will be noted at this point, that barrier B and frontanchor bulkhead D extend away from side wall 16 a of the vehicletransversely to a longitudinal axis 50 of vehicle 11. As can best beseen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6-7A, front anchor bulkhead D includes a housing52 with suitable reinforcement in which a slidable anchor 54 is enclosedand stored. Slidable anchor 54 has a deployed position (FIG. 6) and astored position (FIG. 7). In the stored position, a retractablecrank/belt assembly, designated generally as 56, is stowed away. In thedeployed position of FIG. 6, the belt/ crank assembly 56 includes aretractable attachment belt 58 which is anchored to the wheelchair, ascan best be seen in FIG. 1. When the belt/crank assembly is stowed, itcan be seen that the anchor 54 and belt/crank assembly 56 are storedaway clearly out of a position in which a regular passenger may tripover the structure. A closure door 60 is provided for housing 52 whichmay be closed when the slide anchor and belt mechanism are stowed (FIGS.2 and 7). Coupling plate 48 and associated belts, and the front beltsmay also be stored and readily deployed from bulkhead housing 52. Thedoor also provides a track for the slide anchor when being deployed(FIGS. 1 and 6). There is a second crank/belt mechanism 62 carried bybulwark housing 52 wherein the crank/belt mechanism includes aretractable attachment belt 64 for securing to a second front locationof the wheelchair. Again, as can best be seen in FIG. 3, front belt 58includes a first strap 58 a having a female buckle 58 b and a secondstrap 58 c secured as one piece to strap 58 a at a stitching point 58 d.Second strap 58 c encircles a frame portion 66 of the wheelchair andincludes a male buckle element 58 e which fastens with female buckle 58b. Likewise, front belt 64 includes a first strap 64 a having a femalebuckle 64 b and a second strap 64 c stitched to first strap 64 a at 64d. Second strap 64 c includes a male buckle element 64 e which fastensinto female buckle 64 b after being wrapped around wheelchair frame 68.It will be emphasized in relation to FIG. 3 that belts 58 and 64 divergeoutwardly from their attachment location at the front of wheelchair 14toward the respective crank/belt mechanisms 56 and 62. It has been foundaccording to the invention, that the divergences of these beltseffectively prevents tipping of the wheelchair with an occupant when thewheelchair is secured between the rear barrier and front anchor.Likewise, it will be noted that front belts 58 and 64 are inclineddownwardly from wheelchair 14 to anchor locations at 56 and 62. This hasalso been found advantageous to securing the wheelchair and occupant.The angle between the attachment belts and the vehicle axis may varydepending upon the wheelchair's width and size. For example, it has beenfound that the anchor line of belt 58 will vary from 0 to 15 degreeswith respect to the vehicle axis as will the anchor line of belt 64.However, in a limited number of wide wheelchair applications, the anchorline of belt 58 may converge with respect to anchor location 56 so thatthe range for belt 58 may be from −0 to −15 degrees in the case of widewheelchair applications. However, since it is desired that thewheelchair be kept as close as possible to the underside of flip seat12, belt 64 next to the flip seat will normally not undergo a negativeangle but will always vary between 0 and 15 degrees with respect to thevehicle axis. While wheelchairs vary greatly in their sizes andconfiguration, for a standard manual wheelchair having a 20″ lateralwheel spacing the preferred angle has been found to be approximately 5degrees for belt 64 and 5 degrees for belt 58.

[0029] Any suitable retracting mechanisms or operator devices may beutilized at 26, 56 and 62. Suitable retractors and belt assemblies areavailable from Indiana Mills Corporation of Indianapolis, Ind. Belt 22and retractor 26 may be a suitable crank/belt mechanism assemblyavailable as no. 55080089. The front retractors 56 and 62 may each be acrank/belt assembly no. 55080091. The personal securement belt assemblymay be a suitable three-point seat belt, lap belt and retractor,available as no. 55080048. While rear wheelchair attachment assembly Cis illustrated as including a single retractable belt, two retractablebelts may be used connected directly to the side frames of thewheelchair without a coupling plate. Also, manual retractor cranks, butwith automatic retractors, may not be needed at both the front and rearassemblies, but be needed only at one to secure the wheel-chair therebetween.

[0030] In use, when a wheelchair passenger is to be carried on thevehicle, the driver/operator will raise flip seat 12 and lock it in theup position. The driver/operator will then withdraw the wall side lapbelt 34, and pull out the belt and attach it to the underside of flipseat 12 by means of velcro 12 a. The driver/operator will then positionthe wheelchair in the securement area and attach the rear wheelchairattachment assembly C to the wheelchair. The driver/operator thenpresses release button 26 a on the rear wheelchair crank/belt mechanism26 and pull enough webbing 22 out to attach to the coupling plate 48.The driver/operator will then move the wheelchair as close as possibleto the rear barrier and press the release button once again to eliminateany loose belting from rear belt 22. The driver/operator will thenattach the front wheelchair attachment assembly E to the wheelchair bywithdrawing the attachment belt 64 closest to the wall, press therelease button and pull out enough belting to attach to the front memberof the wheelchair. The release button will then be pressed again toeliminate any loose webbing and the tension of the belt may be tightenedby turning the crank 62 a of retracting mechanism 62. Next the slideanchor 54 is extended from the bulkhead and attachment belt 58 iswithdrawn and attached to the wheelchair whereupon the release button ispressed to pull out any loose webbing and the belt tightened by manualcrank 56 a. Final tension can then be applied to the system by turningthe crank 28 at the rear barrier. The passenger lap belt is thenfastened by removing the wall side belt from the velcro attachment andunreeling both lap belts and locking at the waist. Shoulder belt 36 isthen removed from the wall and attached to the lap belt. This belt is aninertia belt that allows body movement. The lap belt does not tighten toan uncomfortable position because the wheelchair attachment belts havealready been installed in place first.

[0031] Thus, it can be seen that a highly effective three-pointrestraint system for a wheelchair and occupant can be had according tothe invention wherein a three-point anchoring of the wheelchair isachieved by anchor belts 22, 58, and 64. This three-point restraintsystem provides effective securement of the wheelchair to restrain thewheelchair against tipping laterally or turning over rearwardly andforwardly during vehicle movement. The system minimizes the amount ofbelts needed to secure a wheelchair occupant, and eliminates floortracks and floor pockets.

[0032] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been describedusing specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposesonly, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wheelchair restraint system for a masstransportation vehicle having a longitudinal vehicle axis, said vehiclehaving a securement area for a wheelchair which includes at least oneflip seat, said system comprising: a barrier carried at a rear portionof said securement area and disposed generally transverse to thelongitudinal vehicle axis; a rear wheelchair attachment assembly carriedby said rear barrier for anchoring said wheelchair to said barrier; saidrear wheelchair attachment assembly having at least two rear attachmentelements for attachment at two spaced locations to said wheelchair; apersonal securement belt assembly for securing a seated wheelchairoccupant to said wheelchair in said securement area; a front bulkheadextending generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis at afront portion of said securement area; a front wheelchair attachmentassembly for anchoring said wheelchair to said bulkhead; said frontwheelchair attachment assembly having at least two front attachmentelements for attachment to two spaced locations of said wheelchair andsaid bulkhead; and said rear wheelchair attachment assembly including atleast one retractor mechanism for exerting a force on said wheelchair ina first direction along said vehicle axis, and said front wheelattachment assembly including at least one retractor mechanism forexerting a force on said wheelchair in a second direction opposite tosaid first direction so that said wheelchair is secured between saidbarrier and bulkhead by said rear and front wheelchair attachmentassemblies.
 2. The system of claim 1 including a coupling having a rearconnector, said first and second attachment elements of said rearwheelchair attachment assembly being affixed to said coupling, and saidretracting mechanism of said rear wheelchair attachment assembly beingconnected to said rear connector of said coupling.
 3. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said rear wheelchair retractor mechanism includes a rearretractable belt having a retracted and withdrawn configuration; arelease for releasing said belt from said retracted and withdrawnconfigurations; and a crank for manually tightening said belt whentensioned in said withdrawn configuration.
 4. The system of claim 3wherein said attachment elements of said rear wheelchair attachmentassembly include a first rear attachment belt for attachment to a firstrear location of said wheelchair and a second rear belt for attachmentto a second rear location of said wheelchair spaced from said firstlocation, and a coupling for coupling said first and second belts tosaid rear retractable belt.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein saidcoupling comprises a plate having a center attachment for attachment tosaid rear retracting belt, and said first and second rear attachmentbelts being affixed to said plate at locations spaced equal distancesfrom said center attachment.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said frontwheel attachment assembly comprising a first front attachment belt forattachment to a first front location of said wheelchair, a second frontattachment belt for attachment to a second front location of saidwheelchair spaced from said first front location, a first and a secondretractor mechanisms for retracting said respective first and secondbelts in a direction to place a tensioning force on said first andsecond front belts, and said retractor mechanisms including a manualcrank for tightening tensioned first and second belts.
 7. The system ofclaim 6 wherein at least one of said first and second rear attachmentbelts defines an anchor line extending from a respective one of saidfirst and second wheelchair locations toward a respective one of saidanchor locations on said bulkhead at a horizontal angle with respect tothe vehicle axis to effectively prevent lateral tipping.
 8. The systemof claim 7 wherein said first and second front attachment belts areinclined downward from said wheelchair to said front bulkhead.
 9. Thesystem of claim 7 wherein said anchor line of said first attachment beltextends at an angle in a range of 0 to ±15 degrees and said anchor lineof said second attachment diverges toward said bulkhead at an angle in arange of about 0 to 15 degrees.
 10. The system of claim 7 wherein saidanchor line of said first attachment belt diverges outwardly at an angleof about 5 degrees with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis, andsaid anchor line of said second attachment belt diverges at an angle ofabout 5 degrees.
 11. The system of claim 6 wherein said front anchorbulkhead includes an extendable anchor member which extends transverserelative to the longitudinal vehicle axis, said anchor member beingextendable between a stored position in which said anchor member isstowed with said bulkhead and a deployed position wherein said anchormember is extended from said bulkhead, said first retractor mechanismcarried by said extendable anchor member, and said second retractormechanism carried by said bulkhead.
 12. The system of claim 10 whereinsaid bulkhead comprises a bulkhead housing, and said anchor member beingplaced within said bulkhead housing in said stored position.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12 wherein said bulkhead housing includes an opening,said extendable anchor member being movable through said opening whenmoving between said stored and extended positions.
 14. The system ofclaim 13 including a movable closure for closing said opening of saidbulkhead, said closure having an open and closed position, and saidclosure forming a track for guiding movement of said anchor memberbetween said stored and extended positions.
 15. The system of claim 1wherein said personal securement strap assembly comprises a lap beltaffixed near said rear barrier, and a shoulder belt attachable to saidlap belt.
 16. The system of claim 15 including an adjustable ring tetherfor supporting said shoulder belt, said ring tether being adjustable toadjust an upper position of said shoulder belt in a vertical directionto accommodate wheelchair occupants of different heights.
 17. Awheelchair restraint system for a mass transportation vehicle having alongitudinal vehicle axis, said vehicle having a securement area for awheelchair which includes at least one flip seat, said systemcomprising: a barrier carried at a rear portion of said securement areaand disposed generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis; arear wheelchair attachment assembly carried by said rear barrier forattachment to said wheelchair and anchoring said wheelchair to saidbarrier at a first rear anchor location; a personal securement beltassembly for securing a seated wheelchair occupant to said wheelchair insaid securement area; a front bulkhead extending generally transverse tothe longitudinal vehicle axis at a front portion of said securementarea; a front wheelchair attachment assembly for anchoring saidwheelchair to a first and second spaced front anchor location on saidbulkhead; and said rear wheelchair attachment assembly including atleast one retractor mechanism for exerting an adjustable force on saidwheelchair in a first direction along said vehicle axis; and said frontwheel attachment assembly including at least one retractor mechanism forexerting an adjustable force on said wheelchair in a second directionopposite to said first direction so that said wheelchair is secured bysaid first rear anchor location and said first and second front anchorlocations between said barrier and bulkhead by said rear and frontwheelchair attachment assemblies in an effective three anchor pointrestraint system.
 18. The system of claim 17 including a coupling havinga rear connector, said rear wheelchair assembly including first andsecond attachment elements affixed to said coupling for attachment tosaid wheelchair, and said retracting mechanism of said rear wheelchairattachment assembly being connected to said rear connector of saidcoupling.
 19. The system of claim 17 wherein said front wheel attachmentassembly comprises a first front attachment belt for attachment to saidfirst anchor location, a second front attachment belt for attachment tosaid second anchor location of said wheelchair spaced from said firstanchor location, wherein at least one of said first and second rearattachment belts diverge outwardly from said respective first and secondwheelchair locations toward said anchor locations on said bulkhead toeffectively prevent lateral tipping.
 20. The system of claim 19 whereinsaid first and second front attachment belts are inclined downward fromsaid wheelchair to said front bulkhead.
 21. The system of claim 19wherein said first attachment belt extends at an angle in a range of 0to ±15 degrees and said second attachment belt diverges toward saidbulkhead at an angle in a range of about 0 to 15 degrees.
 22. The systemof claim 19 wherein said first attachment belt diverges outwardly at anangle of about 5 degrees with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis,and said second attachment belt diverges at an angle of about 5 degrees.23. The system of claim 19 wherein said front bulkhead includes anextendable anchor member which extends transverse relative to thelongitudinal vehicle axis, said anchor member being extendable between astored position in which said anchor member is stowed with said bulkheadand a deployed position wherein said anchor member is extended from saidbulkhead, and a first retractor mechanism carried by said extendableanchor member, and a second retractor mechanism carried by saidbulkhead.
 24. A wheelchair restraint system for a mass transportationvehicle having a longitudinal vehicle axis, said vehicle having asecurement area for a wheelchair which includes at least one flip seat,said system comprising: a barrier carried at a rear portion of saidsecurement area and disposed generally transverse to the longitudinalvehicle axis; a rear wheelchair attachment assembly carried by said rearbarrier for anchoring said wheelchair to said barrier; a personalsecurement belt assembly for securing a seated wheelchair occupant tosaid wheelchair in said securement area; a front bulkhead extendinggenerally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis at a front portionof said securement area; a front wheelchair attachment assembly foranchoring said wheelchair to said bulkhead; said front bulkheadincluding an extendable anchor member which extends transverse relativeto the longitudinal vehicle axis, said anchor member being extendablebetween a stored position in which said anchor member is stowed in anon-operating position and a deployed position wherein said anchormember is extended from said bulkhead; and said from wheel chairattachment assembly securing said wheel chair to a first anchor locationon said bulkhead and to a second anchor location on said extendableanchor member when said anchor member is in said deployed position. 25.The system of claim 24 wherein said bulkhead comprises a bulkheadhousing, and said anchor member being placed within said bulkheadhousing in said stored position.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein saidbulkhead housing includes an opening, said extendable anchor memberbeing movable through said opening when moving between said stored andextended positions.
 27. The system of claim 26 including a movableclosure for closing said opening of said bulkhead, said closure havingan open and closed position, and said closure forming a track forguiding movement of said anchor member between said stored and extendedpositions.
 28. The system of claim 24 wherein said front wheelchairattachment assembly includes a first and second front attachment beltswhich diverge outwardly from said wheelchair to said respective firstand second anchor locations on said bulkhead to effectively preventlateral tipping.
 29. The system of claim 28 wherein said first andsecond front attachment belts are inclined downward from said wheelchairto said front bulkhead.